Joined: 27 Nov 2004 {Posts: 1763 } Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Posted: Wed 07 Nov 2007 18:49 Post subject: Music Radio 77 WABC
Some members might remember this station. This was one of the stations that were responsible for the Beatles initial success in America. It was the most listened to (actually still is, though it's a talk radio format today) station in the country. It's basic signal reached into the upper Hudson Valley, south western Mass, almost all of Connecticut, all of New Jersey, all of Long Island, a good part of east PA including the Philly area, and into northern DE. At night 40 states could get the signal. It's hey day was the mid 60s until the early 70s, when FM started to take over. With the FM "take over" came segregated radio. You had stations that catered to the Black audiences like WBLS, and rock oriented stations like WNEW and WPLJ, this is all from a New York perspective. WABC played it all, from the British Invasion to Motown to Stax to the American rock groups, if it could be a hit, it was played.
This is a retro web site with all sorts of cool info and airchecks backs as far as 1961. It features Cousin Brucie (Bruce Morrow), Dan Ingram, Ron Lundy, Harry Harrison, Chuck Leonard, and more. The sound prior to 1964 you would think it's still the 50s.
As a radio personality myself, I love your topic post! I love all kinds of music and have often dreamt about the days prior to format segregation. Demographics be damned! Musical variety and freedom was what radio used to be about.
And satellite radio isn't any better. Personally, I have checked out the competition - I was listening to SoulTown, and they played just the obvious hits and didn't dig any deeper than r&b hits that made the Pop Top 10!
I tell you what floored me: I recently took a vacay with my man in Yellowstone, and this Jackson Hole station played The Marvelettes "My Baby Must Be a Magician"! You could have knocked me over with a feather! This young deejay dug DEEP!
Joined: 27 Nov 2004 {Posts: 1763 } Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Posted: Wed 07 Nov 2007 21:38 Post subject:
Cinnamongirl wrote:
As a radio personality myself, I love your topic post! I love all kinds of music and have often dreamt about the days prior to format segregation. Demographics be damned! Musical variety and freedom was what radio used to be about.
And satellite radio isn't any better. Personally, I have checked out the competition - I was listening to SoulTown, and they played just the obvious hits and didn't dig any deeper than r&b hits that made the Pop Top 10!
I tell you what floored me: I recently took a vacay with my man in Yellowstone, and this Jackson Hole station played The Marvelettes "My Baby Must Be a Magician"! You could have knocked me over with a feather! This young deejay dug DEEP!
You could hear a Supremes song and a Rolling Stones song back to back.
There still was format segregation in the 50s and 60s though. A lot of "White" owned stations would not play early rock 'n' roll or R & B. Hell, Buddy Holly was even told that he sounded too Black to be played on some stations.
WABC pioneered the bringing together of the hits to package them to mass appeal. Was not the first to do so, but had the most affect.
If you check out some of the airchecks, it's great!!! I grew up listening to this station while riding in a car with my parents, or on my little transistor radio. For me, as I listen, I remember things I thought I had long forgotten about.
For history buffs, there are 2 airchecks from April 4, 1968, when news had just come in about MLK Jr being shot. The news was that he was shot while in his car (of course now we know he was on the balcony). There was no word yet on Dr. King's condition.
The other aircheck is Chuck Leonard, whom I never knew was "Black". He talked about the death of King and urged peace. Then a news clip is featured to bring folks up on the recent developments, with violence breaking out in several cities. Some people in Harlem are interviewed.
I'm surprised that an aircheck has not surfaced from November 22, 1963.
All in all, for those who are interested in this sort of stuff, it's fascinating!!!
'
FAQ
Search
Register
Log in
Musical variety and freedom was what radio used to be about.